Increase of isoflavones in the aglycone form in soybeans by targeted crossings of cultivated breeding material

Exploring Impact of Probiotic-Fermented Soymilk on Dextran-Sulfate-Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis via Modulating Inflammation and Gut Microbiota Profile

SCOPE

Lactic acid bacteria with probiotic functions and their fermentation products play a role in regulating ulcerative colitis (UC). This study investigates the potential role of fermented soymilk (FSM4) rich in isoflavones on DSS-induced UC.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Mice received 3% DSS and are supplemented daily once for 1 week by NFSM and FSM4. DSS usually causes intestinal inflammation and alters the gut microbiota. FSM4 intervention improves the UC-related inflammation and gut microbiota alteration. It considerably decreases pro-inflammatories such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum and COX-2 and MPO in colon tissues and pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella). This facilitates gut-healthy bacteria growth. These healthy bacteria negatively correlat with pro-inflammatory factors but positively associated with acetic acid, butyric acid, and propionic acid, which may act for PPAR-γ pathway activating and NF-κB p65 pathway inhibiting, lowering the risk of UC. Overall, FSM4 might alleviate UC and significantly reverse the dysbiosis of gut microbiota via the PPAR-γ activation. It could be a good alternative for developing functional food to protect against UC.

CONCLUSION

FSM4 attenuates intestinal inflammation and modulates the SCFA-producing bacteria growth, which enable the PPAR-γ activation to alleviate the UC target, which could be a dietary intervention strategy for gut health.

Phytochemical Composition of Different Red Clover Genotypes Based on Plant Part and Genetic Traits

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is an important legume that is also known as a rich source of isoflavones, which are compounds with mild estrogenic activity. Therefore, this plant is often used as a raw material in the production of dietary supplements recommended in menopause. Many factors can influence isoflavone content, but those genetically related are considered to be the most important. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profile of different plant parts of 30 red clover genotypes grouped according to ploidy and country of seed origin by analyzing the content of dominant isoflavones, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity. It was found that there are significant differences in the examined traits among plant parts. Red clover leaves had the highest total isoflavone content, with biochanin A as the dominant compound, while flower extracts had the highest TPC and antioxidant activity. Diploid and tetraploid genotypes were significantly different concerning the content of daidzein, genistein, formononetin and TPC with higher quantities in tetraploid samples. On the other hand, seed origin was not a useful separating factor for the analyzed samples. The results of this research indicate that ploidy, as a previously poorly studied factor, could influence isoflavone content in red clover.

New insights of flavonoid glycosidases and their application in food industry

Flavonoids are significant natural nutraceuticals and a key component of dietary supplements. Given that flavonoid glycosides are more plentiful in nature and less beneficial to human health than their aglycone counterparts, they serve as potential precursors for flavonoid production. Glycosidases have shown substantial potential within the food industry, particularly in enhancing the organoleptic properties of juice, wine, and tea. When applied to food resources, glycosidases can amplify their biological activities, thereby improving the performance of functional foods. This review provides up-to-date information on flavonoid glycosidases, including their catalytic mechanisms, biochemical properties, and natural sources, as well as their applications within the food industry. The use of flavonoid glycosidases in improving food quality is also reviewed.

Phenolic Profiles and Bioactivities of Ten Original Lineage Beans in Thailand

Legumes and pulses are important food components with various phytochemicals and health benefits. However, the health-related bioactivities of some underutilized species remain uninvestigated. To breed a new bean lineage with particular health-related properties, this study investigated phenolics (specifically, isoflavones) and the in vitro inhibitory activities of the enzyme relevant to some non-communicable diseases in underutilized cultivars of Phaseolus lunatus (lima beans), compared to the commonly consumed P. vulgaris (red kidney bean) and beans in the Glycine and Vigna genera. The results indicated that soybeans in the Glycine genus contained the highest isoflavone contents, especially glycitein (1825-2633 mg/100 g bean) and daidzein (1153-6471 mg/100 g bean), leading to potentially higher enzyme inhibitory activities (25-26% inhibition against α-amylase, 54-60% inhibition against α-glucosidase, 42-46% inhibition against dipeptidyl peptidase IV, 12-19% inhibition against acetylcholinesterase and 20-23% inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase) than those from other genera. Interestingly, lima beans with low isoflavone content (up to 2 mg/100 g bean) still possessed high inhibitory activities against lipase (12-21% inhibition) and β-secretase (50-58% inhibition), suggesting that bioactive compounds other than the isoflavones might be responsible for these activities. Isoflavone contents and enzyme inhibitory activities in Vigna beans were diverse, depending on the particular cultivars. The information gained from this study can be used for further investigation of bioactive components and in-depth health properties, as well as for future breeding of a new lineage of bean with specific health potentials.

Soybean Processing Wastes: Novel Insights on Their Production, Extraction of Isoflavones, and Their Therapeutic Properties

Soybean processing waste (SPW) has potential as a sustainable source of phytochemicals and functional foods. A variety of phytochemicals, nutrients, and minerals have been characterized from SPW using various analytical methods. SPW utilization strategies may provide a new way to increase production of bioactive compounds, nutritional supplements, and cosmetic ingredients. SPW has the potential for value-added processing, to improve commercial use, and to lower environmental pollution through proper use. Okara, a byproduct generated during soybean processing of tofu and soy milk, is rich in dietary fiber, isoflavones, and saponins. Isoflavones, an important class of biologically active compounds owing to their multifunctional and therapeutic effects, are extracted from SPW. Further, studies have shown that okara has potential prebiotic and therapeutic value in lowering the risk of noncommunicable diseases. Therefore, in this review, we focus on several extraction methods and pharmacotherapeutic effects of different SPWs. Their effective uses in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and health applications, as biocatalysts, and as value-added resources have been discussed.

Current perspectives on the beneficial effects of soybean isoflavones and their metabolites on plants

Soybeans have traditionally been a staple part of the human diet being highly rich in protein and lipid content. In an addition to the high nutritional components, soybeans have several functional components, like isoflavones, saponins, lecithin, and oligosaccharides. Soybeans emerge as a healthy functional food option. Isoflavones are most notable functional component of soybeans, exhibiting antioxidant activity while preventing plant-related diseases (e.g., antimicrobial and antiherbivore activities) and having positive effects on the life quality of plants. Isoflavones are thus sometimes referred to as phytochemicals. The latest research trends evince substantial interest in the biological efficacy of isoflavones in the human body as well as in plants and their related mechanisms. However, there is little information on the relationship between isoflavones and plants than beneficial human effects. This review discusses what is known about the physiological communication (transport and secretion) between isoflavones and plants, especially in soybeans.

Targeted and Untargeted Metabolic Profiling to Discover Bioactive Compounds in Seaweeds and Hemp Using Gas and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Greenhouse gas emissions are a global problem facing the dairy/beef industry. Novel feed additives consisting of seaweeds and hemp containing bioactive compounds are theorized to reduce enteric methane emissions. In this study we aimed to investigate the metabolic profiles of brown, red and green seaweeds and hemp using gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. We used targeted and untargeted approaches, quantifying known halomethanes and phenolics, as well as identifying potentially novel bioactive compounds with anti-methanogenic properties. The main findings were: (a) Asparagopsis taxiformis contained halomethanes, with high concentrations of bromoform (4200 µg/g DW), six volatile halocarbons were tentatively identified; (b) no halomethanes were detected in the other studied seaweeds nor in hemp; (c) high concentrations of lignans were measured in hemp; (d) a high numbers of sulfated phenolic acids and unidentified sulfuric acid-containing compounds were detected in all seaweeds; (e) flavonoid glucosides and glucuronides were mainly identified in hemp; and (f) the condensed tannin gallocatechin was tentatively identified in Fucus sp. Using the combined metabolomics approach, an overview and in-depth information on secondary metabolites were provided. Halomethanes of Asparagopsis sp. have already been shown to be anti-methanogenic; however, metabolic profiles of seaweeds such as Dictyota and Sargassum have also been shown to contain compounds that may have anti-methanogenic potential.

Isoflavonoid biosynthesis in cultivated and wild soybeans grown in the field under adverse climate conditions

The cultivation of soybean plants is one of the most important crop production sectors in the world. Isoflavones are an important defence against pathogens in soybeans. The aim of the present study was to analyse isoflavone biosynthesis in wild and cultivated soybeans grown in the field conditions in an unfavourable climate. We analysed by LCMS-IT-TOF the composition and content of isoflavonoids, productivity and fungal disease resistance of wild and cultivated. The Hefeng25 and Sfera varieties have the highest isoflavonoid content and fungal tolerance. We have shown a 3-fold increase of total isoflavonoids in Sfera, comparing with wild type, and 4- and 7-fold increases of total isoflavone aglycones in Hefeng25 and Sfera, respectively. Accordingly, the expression of genes encoding enzymes of the isoflavonoid biosynthetic pathway was also maximal in these cultivars. Thus, biosynthetic status is an important indicator of soybean productivity and resistance to pathogens in adverse climates.

A Modified Roger's Distance Algorithm for Mixed Quantitative-Qualitative Phenotypes to Establish a Core Collection for Taiwanese Vegetable Soybeans

Vegetable soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] have characteristics of larger seeds, less beany flavor, tender texture, and green-colored pods and seeds. Rich in nutrients, vegetable soybeans are conducive to preventing neurological disease. Due to the change of dietary habits and increasing health awareness, the demand for vegetable soybeans has increased. To conserve vegetable soybean germplasms in Taiwan, we built a core collection of vegetable soybeans, with minimum accessions, minimum redundancy, and maximum representation. Initially, a total of 213 vegetable soybean germplasms and 29 morphological traits were used to construct the core collection. After redundant accessions were removed, 200 accessions were retained as the entire collection, which was grouped into nine clusters. Here, we developed a modified Roger's distance for mixed quantitative-qualitative phenotypes to select 30 accessions (denoted as the core collection) that had a maximum pairwise genetic distance. No significant differences were observed in all phenotypic traits (p-values > 0.05) between the entire and the core collections, except plant height. Compared to the entire collection, we found that most traits retained diversities, but seven traits were slightly lost (ranged from 2 to 9%) in the core collection. The core collection demonstrated a small percentage of significant mean difference (3.45%) and a large coincidence rate (97.70%), indicating representativeness of the entire collection. Furthermore, large values in variable rate (149.80%) and coverage (92.5%) were in line with high diversity retained in the core collection. The results suggested that phenotype-based core collection can retain diversity and genetic variability of vegetable soybeans, providing a basis for further research and breeding programs.

Isoflavones, anthocyanins, phenolic content, and antioxidant activities of black soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) as affected by seed weight

Seed weight is regulated by several genes which in turn could affect the metabolite contents, yield, and quality of soybean seeds. Due to these, seed weight is receiving much attention in soybean breeding. In this study, seeds of 24 black soybean varieties and a reference genotype were grown in Korea, and grouped as small (< 13 g), medium (13-24 g), and large (> 24 g) seeds based on their seed weight. The contents of six anthocyanins, twelve isoflavones, and total phenolic, and the antioxidant activities were determined, and the association of each with seed weight was analyzed. The total anthocyanin (TAC) and total isoflavone (TIC) contents were in the ranges of 189.461-2633.454 mg/100 g and 2.110-5.777 mg/g, respectively and were significantly different among the black soybean varieties. By comparison, the average TAC and TIC were the highest in large seeds than in small and medium seeds while the total phenolic content (TPC) was in the order of small seeds > large seeds > medium seeds. Besides, large seeds showed the maximum 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging activity, whereas small seeds showed the maximum ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS) scavenging activities. FRAP activity was positively associated with TIC and TAC, the former association being significant. On the other hand, ABTS and DPPH activities were positively correlated to TPC, the later association being significant. Overall, our findings demonstrated the influence of seed weight on anthocyanin, isoflavone, and phenolic contents and antioxidant activities in black soybeans. Besides, the dominant anthocyanins and isoflavones were the principal contributors to the variations observed in the black soybean varieties, and hence, these components could be selectively targeted to discriminate a large population of black soybean genetic resources.

Seed isoflavone profiling of 1168 soybean accessions from major growing ecoregions in China

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) isoflavones are secondary metabolites of great interest because of their beneficial impact on human health. We profiled the seed isoflavone composition of 1168 soybean accessions collected from diverse ecoregions of China in three locations over two years. We observed significant differences in isoflavone content among the accessions, accession types, years of growth and ecoregions of origin. Total isoflavone (TIF) concentration of the soybean accessions ranged from 745 μg g-1 to 5253.98 μg g-1, which represents a 7-fold difference. The highest mean TIF concentration (2689.27 μg g-1) was observed in the Huang Huai Hai Valley Region (HR) accessions, followed by accessions from the Southern Region (SR) and Northern Region (NR) with TIF concentration of 2518.91 μg g-1 and 1942.78 μg g-1, respectively. Thirty-five accessions were identified as elite soybean resources based on their higher TIF concentration (4024.74 μg g-1 to 5253.98 μg g-1). Pairwise correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations between individual isoflavones and TIF concentrations. Malonyldaidzin and malonylgenistin showed the highest correlations with TIF concentration (r = 0.90 and r = 0.92, respectively), whereas acetyldaidzin showed the lowest correlation. The main isoflavone components had significant negative correlations with latitude and longitude, indicating that the geographical origin of the accessions influenced their seed isoflavone composition. Based on principal component analysis, glycosides and malonylglycosides of isoflavones were the major discriminative components for the soybean accessions. The present study demonstrated the geographical distribution of soybean seed isoflavone concentrations across the main ecoregion of China. The identified soybean accessions with both high and low TIF concentrations, which are desirable materials for industrial uses and could also be used as parents to breed soybean lines with improved isoflavone quantity and composition in the seeds.